After a successful run at Sadler's Wells in London, the Paul Taylor Dance Company has embarked on a North American tour through the end of the year. Their first stop is Philadelphia.

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To Paul Taylor, every dance is a new start By Judith Mackrell, for the Phildelphia Inquirer

What are the advantages of being Paul Taylor and aging into one of the world's most venerated choreographers of modern dance? Having a "spiffy" development director called Darcy, maybe, who forces you into a new designer suit when your old one has grown too ancient to take another curtain call. Or being so famous that the queen of England inadvertently suffers you to feel her royal behind.

A review:<P><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><B>A new frolic anchored by old favorites</B><BR>The Philadelphia Inquirer<P>In the dandy, bowl-shaped Zellerbach Theatre at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, the Paul Taylor Dance Company serves dessert first. Dandelion Wine, the world premiere commissioned for this Philadelphia season, proves a charming trifle, with the meaty dances, Taylor's Syzygy and Le Sacre Du Printemps, rounding out a nourishing if unbalanced feast.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><BR>[This message has been edited to remove dead link.]<p>[This message has been edited by Admin (edited April 05, 2002).]

From the New York Times - Jennifer Dunning review:<P><B>A RITUAL OF DIABOLICAL ANGELS AND SLIGHTLY ANGELIC DEVILS</B><P><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Voices were hoarse from cheering by the end of the evening on Tuesday, when the Paul Taylor Dance Company opened its three-week season at City Center. Mr. Taylor's new "Fiends Angelical" is not a major work, though his minor works have a way of joining that august company as years go by. But two classics — "Arden Court" and "Esplanade" — completed the program in the superbly danced single performances of the engagement.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> <P><BR><A HREF="http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/01/arts/01TAYL.html" TARGET=_blank><B>MORE...</B></A><BR><p>[This message has been edited by Basheva (edited March 01, 2001).]

From the New York Times:<P><B>A DUET LIKE THICK CREAM</B><P><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Paul Taylor's "Cascade" glitters. His "Piazzola Caldera" broods. But there is more to the two pieces, performed by the Paul Taylor Dance Company on Thursday night at City Center, than is immediately apparent.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> <P><BR><A HREF="http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/03/arts/03CASC.html" TARGET=_blank><B>MORE...</B></A><P>

From the New York Times:<P><B>PAUL TAYLOR, BALLET'S BELOVED ENEMY</B><P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>AT 70, Paul Taylor can claim title to being the country's most popular choreographer. Ribald, refined, lyrical, dramatic, grotesque or pure, his dances are deeply musical in their poles of sophistication and accessibility.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/04/arts/04KISS.html" TARGET=_blank><B>MORE...</B></A><BR>

Wow...Paul Taylor is getting quite outspoken these days! I'm sure he's going to "raise some eyebrows" with this interview. "Balanchine's view of women is kind of creepy".. Whew! Actually, Paul Taylor studied with Anthony Tudor when he was a student at Juilliard, so that might explain his sympathy towards Tudor, plus obviously his heartfelt aesthetic compatability. But personally,I admire someone who says what they're thinking. In this day and age of "political correctness", it's rare to see someone who says exactly what they're thinking, without worrying about being unpopular or undiplomatic.

The antipathy to ballet is interesting, as here in the UK it seems to me that his work is much easier for ballet fans to enjoy than most modern dance. Pieces like 'Airs' have an uncanny ballet feel to them without using the steps.

Agree Stuart. To my mind, and I've been watching Taylor for over 20 years, his work looks more balletic now than ever. And his dancers look "lighter" to me too! Airs, Aureole which are two of his more balletic works, have been widely and long performed by ballet companies. Taylor has never, in neither his book nor many interviews of him I've read, displayed such an antipathy towards ballet. Hmmm...maybe they just got him in a feisty mood that particular day!!

From the New York Times:<P><B>IN PAUL TAYLOR DANCES, BACH AND DEBUSSY TARRY WITH POPEYE THE SAILOR</B><P><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Paul Taylor's dances usually go from the sublime to the sublime, but the ridiculous is occasionally sandwiched in between. Such is the case with "Funny Papers," one of Mr. Taylor's nuttiest essays on human foibles, set aptly to songs like "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavor on the Bedpost Overnight?"<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><BR><A HREF="http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/06/arts/06FUNN.html" TARGET=_blank><B>MORE...</B></A><P><p>[This message has been edited by Basheva (edited March 06, 2001).]

'Spring in Paul Taylor's steps,' by Amy Yee in the Financial Times. It shows just how important Taylor is that the London FT commissions a review of the NY performances:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>At 70, Paul Taylor has the unique ability to move with ultimate grace between worlds - he's the modern dance eminence who also happens to choreograph for the world's ballet companies, drawing on both classical and pop traditions.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> <P> <A HREF="http://timeoff.ft.com/ft/gx.cgi/ftc?pagename=View&c=Article&cid=FT31ELMVZJC&live=true&tagid=ZZZQ35K480C" TARGET=_blank>http://timeoff.ft.com/ft/gx.cgi/ftc?pagename=View&c=Article<BR>&cid=FT31ELMVZJC&live=true&tagid=ZZZQ35K480C</A> <p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited March 10, 2001).]

Booohooo! I just looked at their West Coast tour..and it looks like they're skipping Seattle. Bummerrr! Two differernt bookings in Utah and NONE in Seattle! Ouchh!!<BR>Hope our friends in California will keep us posted on the Taylor company!!

Déja Moves Paul Taylor returns to familiar territory with his take on the duality of life. Though there are two new works, his imagination seems threadbare.

Tobi Tobias, New York Magazine

Modern art claims to operate on the principle of "making it new," but the current agenda of the Paul Taylor Dance Company appears to be business as usual. A regular harbinger of spring in New York, the group played its usual two weeks at the City Center. According to custom, it duly offered two new Taylor works. As expected, since Taylor typically compartmentalizes his dual view of life, one of the dances was dark, the other sunny. The fact that neither piece merits an extended life made all the more apparent how much Taylor was falling back on his now familiar choreographic devices.

OUch, that hurt! Although Tobias claims that Taylor hasn't done anything earthshaking in the past 10 years or so, any choreographer who has choreographed "Esplanade", "Sunset", "Runes","Sports and Follies", "Airs" and "Big Bertha" certainly deserves every accolade we can throw at him forevermore.

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